TFF 46 2019 Telluride Film Festival Program Annoucement

Telluride Film Festival announces its official program selections for the 46th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy-five feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-seven countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, August 30 - Monday, September 2, 2019.

46th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program, the SHOW:

• THE AERONAUTS (d. Tom Harper, U.S. – U.K., 2019)

• THE ASSISTANT (d. Kitty Green, U.S., 2019)

• THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM (d. Daniel Gordon, Australia, 2019)

• BEANPOLE (Kantemir Balagov, Russia, 2019)

• THE CLIMB (d. Michael Angelo Covino, U.S., 2019)

• COUP 53 (d. Taghi Amirani, U.K., 2019)

• DIEGO MARADONA (d. Asif Kapadia, U.K., 2019)

• FAMILY ROMANCE, LLC (d. Werner Herzog, U.S. – Japan, 2019)

• FIRST COW (d. Kelly Reichardt, U.S., 2019)

• FORD v FERRARI (d. James Mangold, U.S., 2019)

• JUDY (d. Rupert Goold, U.K.-U.S., 2019)

• A HIDDEN LIFE (d. Terrence Malick, U.S. – Germany, 2019)

• THE HUMAN FACTOR (d. Dror Moreh, U.K., 2019)

• INSIDE BILL’S BRAIN (d. Davis Guggenheim, U.S., 2019)

• THE KINGMAKER (Lauren Greenfield, U.S., 2019)

• LYREBIRD (d. Dan Friedkin, U.S., 2019)

• MARRIAGE STORY (d. Noah Baumbach, U.S., 2019)

• MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (d. Edward Norton, U.S., 2019)

• OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE (d. Ric Burns, U.S., 2019)

• PAIN AND GLORY (d. Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 2019)

• PARASITE (d. Bong Joon-ho, South Korea, 2019)

• PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (d. Céline Sciamma, France, 2019)

• THE REPORT (d. Scott Z. Burns, U.S., 2019)

• TELL ME WHO I AM (d. Ed Perkins, U.K., 2019)

• THOSE WHO REMAINED (d. Barnabás Toth, Hungary, 2019)

• THE TWO POPES (d. Fernando Meirelles, U.K., 2019)

• UNCUT GEMS (d. Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, U.S., 2019)

• VARDA BY AGNÈS (d. Agnès Varda, France, 2019)

• VERDICT (d. Raymond Ribay Gutierrez, Philippines, 2019)

• WAVES (d. Trey Edward Schults, U.S., 2019)

Also playing in the main program is COUNTRY MUSIC (d. Ken Burns, U.S., 2019); WOMEN MAKE FILM: A NEW ROAD MOVIE THROUGH CINEMA (d. Mark Cousins, U.K., 2019); and three short films: FIRE IN PARADISE (d. Zack Canepari, Drea Cooper, U.S., 2019), INTO THE FIRE (d. Orlando von Einsiedel, Iraq-U.K., 2019) and LOST AND FOUND (d. Orlando von Einsiedel, Bangladesh-U.K., 2019).

The 2019 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Academy Award winning actress Renée Zellweger (with JUDY), Oscar nominated actor Adam Driver (with MARRIAGE STORY and THE REPORT) and Oscar nominated Philip Kaufman (with newly restored THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING). Tribute programs include a selection of clips followed by the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an onstage interview and a screening of the aforementioned films.

Guest Director Pico Iyer, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:

Additional film revivals include THE WIND (d. Victor Sjöström, U.S, 1928), and a new 35mm print of THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (d. Victor Sjöström, Sweden, 1921).

Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema – an organization or individual – that preserves, honors and presents great movies. This year’s Special Medallion award goes to the company that revolutionized sound, Dolby Laboratories.

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following programs:

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing with 2019 poster artist Edwina White; two Philip Kaufman classics including THE RIGHT STUFF (U.S., 1983) and THE WANDERERS (U.S, 1979); and Sydney Pollack’s long anticipated AMAZING GRACE (U.S., 1972/2015).

“We are fortunate every year to share some the finest films created with our audience in Telluride” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “This year is no exception. We are taken aback at the quality and variety of movies we’ve been lucky enough to include. We are excited for our attendees to be as thrilled as we are by this year’s program.”

Huntsinger goes on to praise the wonderful partnerships that help make the Festival successful year after year. “Collaborations with an incredible group of partners enhance and uplift our Festival experience each year. Of particular note this year are three expansions. Turner Classic Movies adds support to our Guest Director program in addition to the Palm. We will continue to enjoy Meyer Sound's extraordinary audio experience not only at the Galaxy and Werner Herzog Theaters but at the Nugget as well. While Netflix will delight all with their presence at the Chuck Jones Cinema.

Corporate and institutional support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is honored to feature some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. We are filled with gratitude for their unique contributions and for exceptional long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, Meyer Sound, Amazon Studios, ARRI, Participant Media, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Dolby, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA TFT, Universal Studios, and Criterion Collection. And a special welcome to new sponsor Stanley, A Brand of PMI, and more!”

Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, includes three sections: Student Prints, Calling Cards and Great Expectations from eighteen emerging filmmakers from around the globe.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project, celebrating its 20th year, brings together 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for ten UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin. University Seminars allows university professors to travel with students to the Festival and participate in special programming throughout the weekend.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Seven Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

TFF 46 Announces 2019 Poster Artist Edwina White

We proudly announce artist Edwina White as our TFF 46 2019 poster artist. Telluride Film Festival’s prestigious annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics takes place every Labor Day weekend in the picturesque town of Telluride, Colorado. The 46th edition of TFF will run August 30-September 2, 2019.

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Edwina White now works variously as an illustrator, fine artist and animator from her post in Brooklyn. Her editorial illustrations have appeared worldwide in the New York Times, WSJ, Vanity Fair, Harpers Bazaar and featured in Print and Taschen’s top 100 Illustrators. White’s solo gallery shows in New York and Sydney have been based on playing cards, kites, crosswords and, this spring, automatic abstract paintings influenced by old science charts and the internal world. She was commissioned by director Jason Silverman to create the animations for his film Sembene!, an African documentary about Senegalese writer/director, Ousmane Sembene. The early stages were shot by Jay-Z for Life +Times, and the film premiered at the 2015 Sundance, Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals. Her original artwork is included amongst collections of Ballroom Marfa, Angela Missoni and Sting.

“When Julie Huntsinger asked me to make a poster for Telluride film festival, I was preparing for a show of abstract paintings,” said White. “I relished the prospect of celebrating filmmaking by incorporating it’s own visual language. So I made my own painting with light. A stenciled camera form cuts out of the darkness. Blooming in RGB with a pianola score. It’s meant to reflect the order of filmmaking: from capturing a frame and lighting it; to recording it on reels; to the editing, sound and color-correction; to playing out in a theatre.

“I am over the moon to make this artwork for the 46th Telluride Film Festival. I feel so very honored to be asked to dance in the shadows of truly great artists, and feel charged by the collective warmth of the Festival team.”

"Edwina's style is singular, fresh and captivating,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Her charm is as obvious in her art as it is in her person. We’re thrilled with the poster she has created for us.”

46th Telluride Film Festival posters will be available for purchase throughout the four-day Festival, or purchase now by visiting our online shop by clicking here.

46th Telluride Film Festival 2019 Announces Guest Director Pico Iyer

We are proud to announce our 2019 Guest Director, Pico Iyer. The celebrated author is set to select a series of films to present at the 46th Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, August 30 through September 2, 2019.

Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Iyer’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup, will be kept secret until Opening Day.

“Pico is a tremendously gifted writer with unrivaled wit,” said TFF Executive Director Julie Huntsinger. “His enthusiasm for film, especially within his writing, has buoyed and enchanted us. It has made working with him to create this year’s Guest Director program a particularly delightful experience. Both Tom Luddy and I are thrilled to have him with us this year.”

Pico Iyer is the author of two novels and thirteen works of non-fiction. His books have been translated into 23 languages and both his 2008 meditation on the XIVth Dalai Lama, The Open Road, and his TED Book, The Art of Stillness, were best sellers across the U.S. They have also made him a Guggenheim Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize nominee and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

An essayist for Time since 1986, he is a constant contributor to The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s and more than 200 other newspapers and magazines worldwide, and he has published introductions to 70 other works.

Iyer has also written many liner-notes for Leonard Cohen, essays for several Criterion Collection DVDs and a screenplay for Miramax. His writing on Malick, Farhadi, Bertolucci, Scorsese and many other filmmakers has appeared all over, and his writing on movie studios from North Korea to Hyderabad has borne out The New Yorker’s assertion that “As a guide to far-flung places, he can hardly be surpassed.”

Born in Oxford, England, in 1957, Iyer was educated at Eton, Oxford and Harvard. This year he’s been serving as Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton.

“In the times I’ve been to the Festival I’ve seen as many rich and original films in three days as I get to watch in the next twelve months combined,” said Iyer. “So when Tom and Julie asked if I might be willing to serve as Guest Director this year, I felt as stunned and delighted as if I’d been given the keys to the kingdom. Movies have actually been my secret passion for as long as the Telluride Film Festival has been around. But nobody had intuited this until Tom and Julie, a dream team of sorts, sensed my excitement and offered me a chance to share my enthusiasms and passions with others. The invitation to help choose films for the Festival this year was the most exciting one I can remember receiving; I only hope I can pass on a fraction of the delight that I have found at Telluride to others in this inspiring community.”

The Guest Director program is sponsored by Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Considered throughout the industry as one of the leading authorities on classic film, the network presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, highlighting the entire spectrum of film history.

TFF 46 August 30 - September 2, 2019 - Box Office

A big thank you to all of our devoted SHOW fans.

Patron, Festival, and Acme passes are sold out. Please call 510.665.9494 if you would like to be added to our waitlist. We monitor it very closely and will advise you of possibilities and changes.

TFF 45 2018 Telluride Film Festival Program Announcement

Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, today announced its official program selections for the 45th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over sixty feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-two countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, August 31 - Monday, September 3, 2018.

45th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program:

• ANGELS ARE MADE OF LIGHT (d. James Longley, U.S.-Denmark-Norway, 2018)

The 2018 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Academy Award winning director Alfonso Cuarón (with ROMA), Academy Award winning actor Emma Stone (with THE FAVOURITE) and Oscar nominated Rithy Panh (with GRAVES WITHOUT A NAME). Tribute programs include a selection of clips followed by the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an onstage interview and a screening of the aforementioned films.

Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema who preserves, honors and presents great movies. This year’s Special Medallion award goes to Dieter Kosslick, film critic, journalist and researcher and current Director of the Berlin International Film Festival. The Special Medallion film, ELDORADO (d. Markus Imhoof, Germany-Switzerland, 2018) will screen in celebration.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing with 2018 poster artist Woody Pirtle; a special screening of RETURN TO PODOR (d. Kevin Macdonald, U.K.-Senegal, 2018) followed by a special appearance by Baaba Maal and Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons); Eliza McNitt’s three-part virtual reality series SPHERES; 10th Anniversary screening of FOOD INC. (d. Robert Kenner, U.S., 2008); a screening of Gregory Nava’s EL NORTE (U.S.-U.K.-Mexico, 1983); and an afternoon celebration of the life of Pierre Rissient.

“I could not be more pleased with the program lineup for the 45th Telluride Film Festival,” said TFF executive director Julie Huntsinger. “The storytelling brought by this amazing group of filmmakers is both tender and fierce. They are able to bring their ideas and images to an audience with such an observant, artful exploration. This year’s lineup is a true testament to the power and force of film.”

Huntsinger goes on to praise the wonderful partnerships that help make the Festival successful year after year. “Collaborations with an incredible group of partners enhance and uplift our Festival experience each year. Of particular note this year, we are thrilled to embark on a distinctive multi-year partnership with Meyer Sound to bring their extraordinary audio experience to the Galaxy and Werner Herzog Theaters. Corporate and institutional support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is honored to feature some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. We are filled with gratitude for their unique contributions and for exceptional long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, EY, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Dolby, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA TFT, Universal Studios, and Criterion Collection. We appreciate deepening relationships with Amazon Studios, FilmStruck, ARRI, and Participant Media. And, a terrific welcome to new sponsors Netflix, SAG Awards® & SAG-AFTRA, and Piper-Heidsieck, and more!”

Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, includes three sections: Student Prints, Calling Cards and Great Expectations from sixteen emerging filmmakers from around the globe. TFF is also pleased to feature two films by emerging Iranian filmmaker, Saba Riazi: ICE CREAM (U.S.,-Iran, 2018) and THE WIND IS BLOWING ON MY STREET (Iran-U.S., 2010).

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium, celebrating its 30th year, provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin. TFF/ Roger Ebert University Seminars offer university professors and students special festival programming throughout the weekend.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

TFF 45 2018 Guest Director Jonathan Lethem

We are proud to announce our 2018 Guest Director, Jonathan Lethem. The award-winning novelist, essayist and short story writer is set to select a series of films to present at the 45th Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, August 31 - September 3, 2018.

The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Lethem’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup, will be kept secret until Opening Day.

“Tom and I first met Jonathan through Criterion Collection,” said TFF executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Since then, we have forever been impressed with his knowledge of and enthusiasm for cinema. We are thrilled to have him join us for the 2018 Festival!”

One of America’s greatest contemporary writers, Jonathan Lethem was born in 1964 in Brooklyn, NYC to artist Richard Lethem and late political activist Judith Lethem. His impressive body of work spans 10 novels, five short story collections, a novella, two books of essays, a comic series and writings in The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and McSweeny’s. Lethem’s first genre-defying novel, Gun with Occasional Music (1994) experimented with science fiction and crime and gained him a strong cult following. In 1999, Lethem’s fifth novel Motherless Brooklyn met with significant commercial and critical success winning the National Book Critics Circle Award, Macallan Gold Dagger for Crime Fiction, Salon Book Award and was named Esquire’s book of the year. The film adaptation of Motherless Brooklyn, directed by Edward Norton and starring Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe and Leslie Mann is currently in production and slated for a 2019 release. Lethem’s more recent novels include New York Times Bestseller The Fortress of Solitude (2003), You Don’t Love Me Yet (2007), Chronic City (2009), Dissident Gardens (2013) and A Gambler’s Anatomy (2016). In 2005, Jonathan Lethem was the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship.

“From the very beginning for me, my love for literature and my love for film were splendidly mixed-up and inextricable,” said Lethem. “I always saw the two great 20th Century storytelling forms as speaking to and through one another. So, when by my great good luck I fell in with Tom Luddy and Julie Huntsinger, I immediately recognized them as being of my tribe; they feel the same resonance and have designed their wonderful festival in the mountains to reflect it. When I learned they’d involved writers I admire like Michael Ondaatje and Rachel Kushner and Geoff Dyer in the heart of the program, I was thrilled – and envious! I’m still pinching myself in disbelief that it’s my turn to play at programming the Dream Multiplex.”

The Guest Director program is sponsored by FilmStruck, Turner’s subscription on-demand service that offers film aficionados a comprehensive and constantly refreshed library of films including an eclectic mix of contemporary arthouse, indie, foreign, cult and classic Hollywood films. FilmStruck is the exclusive streaming home to the Warner Bros. classic film library and the Criterion Collection. FilmStruck was developed by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and is managed by TCM in partnership with Warner Bros. and the Criterion Collection.

Thank You!

Thank you for another fantastic SHOW! Please check back here often to watch videos of programs you might have missed or want to see again.

Gifts abound in our TFF online store! A beautiful screenprint of our poster art signed by artist Lance Rutter is now for sale in limited numbers. Grab it and some other fun, new TFF merchandise right away!

Join us next Labor Day Weekend August 31-September 3, 2018 for another edition of Telluride Film Festival. Mark your calendars now and see you next year!

Telluride Film Festival 44 Full 2017 Program Lineup

Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, today announced its official program selections for the 44th edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over sixty feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-six countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, September 1 - Monday, September 4, 2017.

44th Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program:

Two documentary shorts, HEROIN(E) (d. Elaine McMillion Sheldon, U.S., 2017) and LONG SHOT (d. Jacob LaMendola, U.S., 2017) will also play together in the main program.

The 2017 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Academy Award winning actor Christian Bale (TFF selection HOSTILES), and Oscar nominated cinematographer Ed Lachman (TFF selection WONDERSTRUCK). Tribute programs include a selection of clips followed by the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an onstage interview and a screening of the aforementioned films.

Guest Director Joshua Oppenheimer, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:

Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema who preserves, honors and presents great movies. This year’s Special Medallion award goes to Katriel Schory, director of the Israeli Film Fund.

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following programs:

“Telluride Film Festival has long been a platform for films from many different cultures and backgrounds that celebrate diversity,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “We feel it’s more important than ever to promote the unique and beautiful differences that exist in the world. From a wide range of new American and foreign cinema to eye-opening documentaries and gorgeous restorations, we are proud to present this 44th program and honor those artists who have made it possible.”

Telluride Film Festival’s shorts program, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, includes three sections: Student Prints, Great Expectations, and Calling Cards from sixteen emerging filmmakers from around the globe.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin. University Seminars offer university professors and students special festival programming throughout the weekend.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing with 2017 poster artist Lance Rutter; Book Signings with Loung Ung (First They Killed My Father), Peter Turner (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool), Alice Waters (Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook), and Willie Vlautin (Lean on Pete); and a special outdoor screening of AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER (d. Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, U.S., 2017) with Al Gore.

Corporate and institutional support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is privileged to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. Julie Huntsinger said, “The festival is honored to collaborate with incredible partners whose unique contributions enhance our mutual values and add radiance to our festival experience. We are exceptionally grateful to our long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, EY, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Meyer Sound, Dolby Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA TFT, to deepening our relationships with Amazon Studios, Delta Air Lines, Participant Media, and excited to welcome significant new sponsors ARRI and FilmStruck to the mix. We also welcome back the sleek, fast, all-electric Tesla to town. A fleet will be on display and available to test drive during the festival.”

We are extremely proud of our committed relationships, each of which are aligned with a unique feature of the festival and contribute to enhancing the festival experience, including Signature Sponsors: Turner Classic Movies, EY and Meyer Sound; Major Sponsors: Amazon Studios, FilmStruck, ARRI, Participant Media, Universal Studios, Delta Airlines, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; Festival Sponsors: Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Criterion Collection, Dolby, DELL, Boston Light and Sound; General Sponsors: Telluride Ski & Golf Resort, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Associated, National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media; our wonderful Hospitality Partners: Telluride Alpine Lodging, The London West Hollywood, New Sheridan Hotel, The Chatwal New York; and Festival Auto Partner: Tesla; plus Colorado Creative Industries, Fotokem, Spectrum, and the Town of Telluride, among others.

TFF 44 Announces 2017 Poster Artist Lance Rutter

We proudly announce artist and graphic designer Lance Rutter as the 2017 poster artist the 44th Telluride Film Festival taking place September 1-4, 2017.

Lance Rutter has spent the last 30+ years of his career devoted to graphic design, working on projects in his Chicago design studio, teaching design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving on the national board of the AIGA, and presiding over the 2008 and 2010 Chicago International Poster Biennials, among other public design advocacy initiatives. Rutter’s own posters have been a part of international exhibitions in the U.S., France, Poland, Mexico, Japan, Hungary, China, the Slovak Republic, Bolivia, Russia, and Iran. He is currently the VP of Design for Quantifind, a tech start-up in Silicon Valley, where he is responsible for everything from the company’s branding and office space design to the design of their data analytics software.

“I don’t think it's possible to overstate how thrilled I was to be asked to create a poster for the 44th edition of the Telluride Film Festival,” said Rutter. “So many really wonderful artists have become part of this legacy, and it’s an honor to now be associated with them. After speaking with several people who have a deep love of—and long association with—Telluride, I believe there is something uniquely magical that happens there every year. While the foundation of Telluride has rightfully been a celebration of film, the Festival itself is more about the coming together of the lovers of film. From creators to admirers, it is about the people who fill, and then transform the place. The collegial atmosphere, the “realness” and accessibility of the people, their joy and warmth… those are the things that enchant Telluride—and what I hoped to express in the poster.”

“Lance’s design for this year’s poster is simply stunning,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Working with him has been a delight from start to finish. Lance is a true artist, and a true professional.”

TFF 44 Announces 2017 Guest Director Joshua Oppenheimer

Telluride Film Festival, presented by National Film Preserve LTD., is proud to announce its 2017 Guest Director, Joshua Oppenheimer. The award-winning documentarian is set to select a series of films to present at the 44th Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, September 1-4, 2017.

Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Oppenheimer’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup, will be kept secret until Opening Day.

“The Guest Director program is one of the most essential and wonderful parts of our festival,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Joshua has been a part of the SHOW with several of the incredible films he has made in the past, and now as our Guest Director. His rare combination of intelligence and down-to-earth understanding of humanity will make for a remarkable presentation of films our audience will not want to miss. Further gilding the lily, FilmStruck has joined us as the sponsor of this selection. We are beyond fortunate with this terrific combination of cinematic genius.”

Filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer was born in the US in 1974 and studied filmmaking at Harvard University. Oppenheimer is best known for The Act of Killing (Telluride 2012) and The Look of Silence (Telluride 2014). The Act of Killing (2014 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary) was named Film of the Year in 2013 by the Guardian and the Sight and Sound Film Poll. It won 72 international awards, including a BAFTA, a European Film Award and an Asia-Pacific Screen Award. The Look of Silence (2016 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary) premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI award, and went on to receive another 70 prizes, including an Independent Spirit Award, the IDA Award for Best Documentary Feature, a Gotham Award, and three Cinema Eye Honors. His early shorts have recently been re-released online and on DVD, including The Entire History of the Louisiana Purchase, which premiered at Telluride in 1997. Joshua Oppenheimer was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2014. Oppenheimer is a partner at Final Cut for Real in Copenhagen, and Artistic Director of the Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film at the University of Westminster in London.

“You stumble from a cinema into Telluride’s thin air, touched in ways you never imagined possible,” commented Oppenheimer. “You turn to a total stranger to share a thought unthinkable only two hours before. What happened? In the mirror of a great film, you confronted truths from which you normally avert your eyes. You recognised yourself in those delicate, mysterious moments that defy words yet make us human. Telluride's movies are empathy machines, inviting us to find ourselves in people we’d never otherwise know. Julie Huntsinger and Tom Luddy’s annual selection is driven by such curiosity and humanity that you cannot leave Telluride without feeling the responsibility and pain and love that comes with compassion. We emerge connected, reminded that self-absorption ultimately leaves us isolated and fearful. There is no greater privilege than joining Tom and Julie as this year’s guest director, sharing with Telluride’s audience the films that give me the greatest courage, and teach me to practice the widest empathy.”

That's A Wrap!

TFF 43 is now a memory! The SHOW is not possible without the support of our faithful Passholders, our unbelievable Sponsors, our dedicated Staff and of course, our amazingly fabulous Filmmakers-- thank you all.

Too soon to think about next year? Not for us. The Telluride Film Festival will be held over Labor Day Weekend September 1-4, 2017. Mark your calendars, and see you at the next SHOW!

TFF 43 Announces 2016 Lineup

Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, announces its official program selections for the 43rd edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-two countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, September 2 - Monday, September 5, 2016.

The 2016 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, will be presented to Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Casey Affleck (TO DIE FOR, GOOD WILL HUNTING, OCEAN’S ELEVEN), starring in TFF selection MANCHESTER BY THE SEA; Oscar nominated, Golden Globe winning actress Amy Adams (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, THE FIGHTER, AMERICAN HUSTLE) starring in TFF selection, ARRIVAL; and Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (Oscar nominated NO, FUGA, POST MORTEM) debuting his latest film, NERUDA. Each program will include a selection of clips of the artist’s work, the presentation of the Silver Medallion, an on-stage interview and a screening of the aforementioned new film, shown in its entirety.

“The joy of putting together the festival program is dwarfed by the incredible enthusiasm both our audience and filmmaking guests experience over Labor Day weekend in Telluride,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “There is nothing quite like discovering the very best of cinema at almost 10,000 feet. There is nowhere else like it in the world. And the films of TFF 43 are as beautiful as the scenery. We are the luckiest people on earth for 3 1/2 days!”

Telluride Film Festival’s SHOWcase for Shorts features four short films chosen to precede select feature films; Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes three programs: Student Prints, Great Expectations, and Calling Cards from sixteen emerging filmmakers.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including a Poster Signing at Brigadoon with 2016 poster artist Yann Legendre; the Elsa Dorfman Gallery; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Exhibit; and a special outdoor screening of THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (d. Otto Bell, U.K/Mongolia/U.S., 2016) will play on Friday evening.

Corporate support at Telluride Film Festival plays a dynamic role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is privileged to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. Julie Huntsinger said: “The festival could not be more proud of our incredible partners whose unique contributions enhance and add sparkle to our festival experience. We are exceptionally grateful to our long-term relationships with Turner Classic Movies, EY, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and excited to welcome new sponsors Amazon Studios, Delta Air Lines, Argent Pictures and Participant Media to the mix. We also welcome back the sleek, fast, all-electric Tesla to town. A fleet will be on display and available to test drive during the festival.”

We are extremely proud of our committed relationships, each of which are aligned with a unique feature of the festival and contribute to enhancing the festival experience, including Signature Sponsors: Turner Classic Movies, EY, National Endowment for the Arts and Meyer Sound; Major Sponsors: Amazon Studios, Universal Studios, Delta Air Lines, Participant Media, Telluride Ski & Golf Resort, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Américas Film Conservancy and Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association; Festival Sponsors: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Argent Pictures, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media, Dolby, Dell and Boston Light and Sound; and our wonderful Hospitality Partners: Telluride Alpine Lodging, The London West Hollywood, New Sheridan Hotel, The Chatwal New York and The Lambs Club, plus Canon, Colorado Creative Industries, Spectrum, Novo Coffee, the Town of Telluride, among others.

TFF 43 2016 Guest Director Volker Schlöndorff

Telluride Film Festival is proud to announce its 2016 Guest Director, Volker Schlöndorff. The globally acclaimed German filmmaker, producer, writer and actor is set to select a series of films to present at the 43rd Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, 2016.

Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Schlöndorff’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup, will be kept secret until Opening Day.

“Volker is the type of person Tom Luddy and I dream about when we begin the Guest Director selection process,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “His love and knowledge of the cinema allows for limitless possibilities; films we could never imagine being shown on the big screen again. What a truly unique experience we will have at the 43rd Telluride Film Festival with Volker in charge!”

One of the most significant and internationally celebrated German directors of our time, Volker Schlöndorff has a passion for bringing German and international literary classics to the screen and making them accessible to larger audiences. Volker began his filmmaking journey at the legendary film school IDHEC followed by his first debut feature, YOUNG TÖRLESS (1966). Decades later, having worked in Europe and America, his extensive body of work has garnered him an Academy Award, the Palme d’Or, and international accolades from Berlin to Venice to Telluride, where he received the Silver Medallion in 2014.

"Since 1981 Telluride has been part of my life, my favorite festival for the uniqueness of the location and the number of friends I met and made there,” said Schlöndorff. “It's not just about our love of movies, but of life and conviviality and good will for a lot of lost causes. Julie Huntsinger and Tom Luddy are in touch with me all around the year, exchanging funny links and gossip. Of all honours, it's one of the greatest to curate a program in the mountains."

TFF 43 Poster Artist 2016 Yann Legendre

43rd Telluride Film Festival presented by National Film Preserve LTD., proudly announces illustrator, designer and art director Yann Legendre as its 2016 poster artist. Telluride Film Festival’s prestigious annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics takes place every Labor Day weekend in the picturesque town of Telluride, Colorado. The 43rd edition of TFF will run September 2-5, 2016.

Born in France in 1972, Yann Legendre is an internationally recognized illustrator, designer and art director. His illustrations have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, GQ, Creative Review, Stylist Magazine and more. He regularly creates illustrations for Universal Music in London, the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago, Janus Films and the Criterion Collection in New York. In 2011, CB2 (Crate&Barrel) commissioned him to illustrate a new collection of home furniture called “Fresh Ink“. In 2010 he started a collaboration with the American filmmaker Joe Swanberg, designing and illustrating all of the director’s movie posters. That same year Yann received the “Award of Excellence for the Best Movie Poster Design” from the SXSW Film Festival in Austin. His latest illustrated books included “Grimm's Fairy Tales”, (Rockport, 2014) and “Couture Confessions: Fashion Legends in Their Own Words” (Rizzoli, 2016). Yann splits his time between France and the United States.

“Let me start by saying that it’s a great honour to be invited to design the poster of the 2016 Telluride Film Festival and a real challenge as well,” says Legendre. “During the Festival, Telluride is all about films and the love for cinema. While in the town, if you are looking carefully around, you may have a chance to see that even in the middle of the mountains the Yeti is trying his best to be involved in the Festival and hoping to become a movie star, by reaching the summit, literally and figuratively. I use this metaphorical scene to introduce the Telluride Film Festival as a unique place where the magic of cinema happens with a good dose of humour!”

“Yann’s work is immediately recognizable for both its innovation and character,” comments Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “His unique vision and dose of humor are what attracted me to his designs and translated perfectly on to the page to create this year’s festival poster. “

43rd Telluride Film Festival posters will be available for purchase throughout the four-day Festival, or purchase now by visiting the TFF Shop here.

TFF 43 September 2-5, 2016

• Join us this Labor Day Weekend for the 43rd Telluride Film Festival, September 2-5, 2016. Visit our travel and lodging page for more information on how to get there and where to stay.

• Film Submission is now open! Deadline for feature films is July 15, 2016 and July 1, 2016 for shorts and students films. Read all about our rules and regulations, and find the link to the submission form, here.

• Volunteer!: Great opportunities await eager, hardworking, problem solving, movie-loving people who want to dedicate some time to putting on the SHOW. Learn more about volunteering your talents here.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for another fantastic SHOW!!!

We hope you enjoyed 42 as much as we did. We'll add some videos to this site in the coming weeks so check back often for those moments you may have missed.

Our FilmWatch newspaper, distributed in town during the Festival, can now be downloaded here as well, and one more morsel to savor can be found here: the full text of an interview with Georges Mourier on the subject of his brilliant RESTORING NAPOLEON.

Enjoy!

42nd Telluride Film Festival Announces 2015 Program

We present our official program selections for the 42nd edition of the Telluride Film Festival taking place Labor Day Weekend September 4-7, 2015. TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy-five feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-seven countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities.

42nd Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program:

Additional Sneak Previews may play outside the main program and will be announced here on our website over the course of the four-day weekend.

The 2015 Silver Medallion Awards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, go to filmmaker Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) who will present his latest film, STEVE JOBS; documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis (THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES) who will present his latest work, BITTER LAKE; and actress Rooney Mara (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) who will present CAROL. Films will be shown following the on-stage interview and medallion presentation.

“We are thrilled to present such an exhilarating, diverse program for the 42nd Telluride Film Festival,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “This year was an abundance of riches, particularly within the documentary category, and we feel privileged to celebrate these films and their artists with our audience in one of the most beautiful locations in the world.”

Guest Director Rachel Kushner, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:

Additional film revival programs include DIE NIBELUNGEN (d. Fritz Lang, Germany, 1924) presented by Pordenone Silent Film Festival; L’INHUMAINE (d. Marcel L’Herbier, France, 1924) with the Alloy Orchestra; RETOUR DE FLAMME, a collection of short films curated by Serge Bromberg; and RESTORING NAPOLEON with Georges Mourier who is currently overseeing the six-and-half-hour restoration of the film for Cinémathèque Francaise.

Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema that preserves, honors and presents great movies. The 2015 Special Medallion award goes to Participant Media. Jonathan King and Diane Weyermann will be presented the award prior to a screening of HE NAMED ME MALALA. Other Participant Media films in the festival include SPOTLIGHT and BEASTS OF NO NATION.

Telluride Film Festival’s SHOWcase for Shorts features eight short films chosen to precede select feature films; Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes three programs: Student Prints, Great Expectations, and Calling Cards from nineteen emerging filmmakers.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The Roger Ebert/TFF University Seminars give university professors and students the opportunity to travel to the Festival each year to participate in special programming and to attend screenings throughout the weekend. The newly implemented FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including Book Signings with Emma Donaghue (Room), and Guest Director Rachel Kushner (The Flamethrowers); and a special outdoor screening of SHERPA (d. Jennifer Peedom, Australia, 2015) will play on Friday evening.

Corporate support at Telluride Film Festival plays an essential role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is privileged to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands. This year we are thrilled to welcome new Premier Sponsor The Guardian, a global force in quality, independent media coverage, who will sponsor the Festival's Noon Seminars, featuring filmmakers and actors in discussion about their projects, and the Festival’s closing celebration, the Labor Day Picnic. Julie Huntsinger said: “The festival could not be more proud to partner with the Guardian, an international voice, that shares the same values that our organization works hard to preserve." We also welcome the sleek, fast, all-electric Tesla Model S to town. A fleet will be on display and available to test drive during the festival.

We are extremely proud of our committed relationships, each of which are aligned with a unique feature of the festival and contribute to enhancing the festival experience, including Signature Sponsors: Turner Classic Movies, EY, Meyer Sound, National Endowment for the Arts, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association; Major Sponsors: Universal Studios, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Américas Film Conservancy; and Festival Sponsors The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Vimeo, The London West Hollywood, Dolby, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media, Teatulia Organic Teas, Shopkeep POS, Telluride Alpine Lodging, New Sheridan Hotel, Dell and Boston Light and Sound, among others. We welcome new media partners Entertainment Weekly and Travel+Leisure. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will also feature highlights from the Telluride Collection at The Academy Archive.

TFF 42 Poster Artist 2015 Laurent Durieux

42nd Telluride Film Festival presented by National Film Preserve LTD., proudly announces illustrator Laurent Durieux as its 2015 poster artist. Telluride Film Festival’s prestigious annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics takes place every Labor Day weekend in the picturesque town of Telluride, Colorado. The 42nd edition of TFF will run September 4 – 7, 2015.

Laurent Durieux was born in 1970 in Waterloo, 20 km from Brussels in Belgium. Laurent has been an illustrator and a graphic designer for over 20 years, and when he isn't teaching graphic design, he spends his time creating posters for movies, old and recent. In 2010, he directed his first short animated movie titled HELLVILLE for Canal+ France produced by renowned French director Jean-Jacques Beineix (BETTY BLUE, DIVA, IP5). Laurent has since taken part in many shows in Belgium, France and in the USA. Laurent's posters can be found in several prestigious cinema related institutions such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood and the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, France, as well as many worldwide private collections. After his first retrospective exhibition in France last year, Laurent has been invited to present his work in an individual exhibition, which will be held at the Cultural Centre De Warande in Turnhout, Belgium this June 2015.

“It’s a great honor for me to have been asked to design this year's poster for the Telluride Film Festival,” said Laurent Durieux. “To be associated with so many great names of graphic design and fine arts is, on its own, something I will cherish for a very long time. I am a big cinema enthusiast too and as such, it certainly was a thrill to work on a poster for a film festival of this calibre. My image for the poster is a tribute to the work of the great Edward Hopper whose work, like mine, is very cinematic. I came up with what I hope to be my own take of his painting, New York Movie (1939), by giving it a surreal twist and a dash of modernity. The way Hopper used shadows and lights has had a big influence on my work in general and he certainly has on this poster. I love nature too and so, naturally, I look forward to attending the festival and discover all the wonderful things this place has to offer!

“We first noticed Laurent’s work when he created the art for Criterion Collection,” commented Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “DVD jacket and one-sheet design is an art-form unto itself; capturing the mood of the film with one image. Laurent has done the same with this year’s poster. He’s managed to conjure the feeling and atmosphere of Telluride Film Festival with one breathtaking shot. It’s simply stunning.”

42nd Telluride Film Festival posters will be available for purchase throughout the four-day Festival and are also available now via our online store here.

TFF 42 Guest Director Rachel Kushner

We are proud to announce our 2015 Guest Director Rachel Kushner. The award-winning author is set to select a series of films to present at the 42nd Telluride Film Festival running over Labor Day Weekend, September 4-7, 2015.

Festival organizers annually select one of the world’s great film enthusiasts to join them in the creation of the Festival’s program lineup. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride. In keeping with Telluride Film Festival tradition, Kushner’s film selections, along with the rest of the Telluride lineup will be kept secret until Opening Day.

Also, in a rare co-presentation between Telluride Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival, Kushner is set to present the 1970 film WANDA on Saturday, April 25 at the historic Castro Theatre. Kushner will be in appearance at the 58th SFIFF to introduce this remarkable film by writer-director Barbara Loden. WANDA screened at the 2005 Telluride Film Festival as Guest Director Don DeLillo’s selection. For SFIFF screening information, and other Festival co-presentation details, please visit www.sffs.org.

"Rachel was a natural choice as the 42nd TFF Guest Director,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Our audience will be as grateful as Tom and I have been to listen to her thoughts and insight and see the outstanding film choices she has made. We actually owe a huge debt of thanks to our past Guest Director Michael Ondaatje for urging us to work with her."

Rachel Kushner is the author of The Flamethrowers, which was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award, the Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Prize, and on almost every Best Book list, including the New York Times Top Five Novels of 2013. Kushner’s debut novel, Telex from Cuba, was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, winner of the California Book Award, and a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book. Kushner is the only writer ever to be nominated for a National Book Award in Fiction for both a first and second novel. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013. Her fiction and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, Harper’s, the New York Times Magazine, the Paris Review, Artforum and Bookforum. A slim volume of her early work, The Strange Case of Rachel K, was published in the spring of 2015. She lives in Los Angeles.

"Telluride has an incredible history and reputation, and I’ve long known of it as a unique entity that makes a place for writers--one more aspect of this exceptional film festival in the Colorado 'Alps,'” said Kushner. “It still feels a bit dreamlike to me that I have been given this privilege to be a guest director — to indulge my love of cinema, to share with the world films I’ve long loved, and to work with the great Tom Luddy and the great Julie Huntsinger and their extended family of kindred souls.”